Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
Lemons float. Limes sink! Do you know why? Objects that are less dense than water will float on the water. Objects that are more dense than water will sink! Lemons float because the rind of the lemon is different than the rind of a lime. The lemon has tiny air pockets in the rind that help it float. The rind of the lime is denser that the water, so it sinks.
What are some simple Science Experiments? Many complicated Science concepts can be easily explained using the scientific method and performing simple experiments.
What are some good Science Experiments? A good kids Science experiment is one that is hands-on where children can actually see, hear, feel what is going on.
How do you do a simple experiment at home? Many simple experiments can be performed with everyday household items you find around your house and a small clean workspace.
Most rocks are dense, which means they are very solid. A little rock that is about the same size as a piece of wood weighs more because it is more solid than the wood. Rock is more dense that wood. Most rocks will sink in water. Most wood is not very dense, it has pockets of air that keep it from being a solid. Wood is less dense than water, so many kinds of wood float in water.
Hands-On Experiment:
Materials:
- bucket/container filled with water
- lemon
- lime
- aluminum foil ball
- paper ball
- eraser
- pencil
- crayon
- spoon
- sponge
- rock
- water bottle
- orange
- peeled orange/mandarin
- can
Gather your materials and first try the lemon/lime float or sink test! Start make some hypotheses using the Scientific Method as to which items will sink or float in the water.
Print the “Did it Sink or Float” worksheet and option cards. Perform the experiments and see if you are correct!
What surprised you? Were your guesses correct? What else can you find to experiment with?
Check out the Clifford’s Rainbow Science Kits for Kids post.